Nevertheless, in important ways Britain remains a Christian country, as the Prime Minister has rightly claimed. The establishment of the Church of England enshrines Christian humanism as a public orthodoxy, which continues to inform a good many of our laws, institutions and public rituals.

This Anglican establishment is liberal, imposing no civil penalties on non-Anglicans, which is why so many non-Anglican Christians and non-Christian believers support it. More broadly, the fact that most Britons continue to tell pollsters that they are religious is presumably one reason why this religious “establishment-lite” persists. According to the 2010 British Social Attitudes survey, 67 per cent of us described ourselves as either “religious” or “fuzzy faithful” and only 33 per cent as “unreligious”.

It is understandable that convinced atheists will find this situation irritating. But a public orthodoxy of some kind is inevitable, and some citizens are bound to find themselves on the wrong side of it and required to exercise liberal tolerance toward it. It remains open to them, of course, to persuade their fellow citizens that there is a better alternative.

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SIR – The silky smooth letter by Professor Al-Khalili and 54 other public figures criticising the Prime Minister for insisting Britain is still a Christian country is at once plausible and disingenuous. Some of these public figures have consistently sought to undermine religion by highlighting its worst features. But the very heart of all religions is loving and serving your neighbour. Do they disagree with this impulse? Christianity is merely a thoroughly imperfect device to spread the teaching of Jesus Christ.

What exactly do the signatories disagree with about what Jesus himself said or did?

Anthony Seldon Master, Wellington College Crowthorne, Berkshire

SIR – The genocides of the 20th century committed by Stalin, Hitler, Mao and Pol Pot demonstrated the outcome of governing by atheist principles. If humans are merely beasts without souls, why not cull the ones you dislike? In a world without moral beliefs or spiritual sanctions, there are no limits to greed and power.

Max Taylor Goathurst, Somerset

SIR – One could sympathise withBishop Nazir-Ali’s positionif the Church of England’s own house was properly in order. The Church enjoys privileged access to the legislature by virtue of bishops’ membership of the House of Lords, all the while preventing access to the bishops’ ranks by women.

The Church of England is also granted exactly the same tax advantages as charities. But while charities are specifically prohibited from engaging in political activities, the Church has no such impediment; its recent pronouncements on poverty are an egregious example.

Graham Campbell Weybridge, Surrey

SIR – I should listen with respect to what Nick Ross and Dan Snow had to say about television presenting and I might even laugh at the jokes of comedians Tony Hawks, Richard Herring and Tim Minchin.